Chapter 14
Something had changed for him, and he wasn’t exactly sure when it had happened. He frowned at the ring of condensation left on the dark wood of the table by his water glass.
He liked Stacey. Genuinely liked her. Not because she was a client he wanted to help. Not because they had shared an incredible encounter in the locker room. Not because she’d looked amazing in his T-shirt, the fabric stretched over her beautiful breasts. But something in the way she’d listened to him, really listened. She was kind. Sweet. A good person.
And he wanted to get to know that person much better. So, he’d indulged a bit.
He took a sip of his water. He’d startled her, but she didn’t look like she’d hated the contact. On the contrary, she’d been closing her eyes, melting into his touch, when the waitress had interrupted.
Sighing, he glanced at the clock on his phone. He’d apologize, but he wasn’t sure whether he should. Damn it, this wasn’t like him. Normally he settled on a course of action and went for it with no questions asked. For some reason this girl was messing with his equilibrium.
“Two pollo rancheros.” The server was back, and she presented their food with a flourish. “Can I get you anything else?”
“Some more salsa, please,” Rob said with a grateful nod.
“I’ll bring that and your lady friend some more water.” The server winked at Rob before moving to the next table.
Stacey chose that moment to appear, hopping toward the table with the aid of her crutches. Her face looked pink, bright, as if she’d scrubbed it in the bathroom. The damp tips of her bangs seemed to corroborate that idea.
“This looks good,” Stacey said as she approached. “You didn’t have to get up.”
But Rob was already on her side of the table, holding the chair for her and taking her crutches when she sat. “It’s a pain in the ass to have to maneuver around on crutches like that. I don’t mind.”
“Thank you,” she said. And then something flashed across her face, an expression so quick he couldn’t really name it. Her hand shot out and grabbed his, a quick squeeze. “Really. Thanks.”
He smiled, unable to help himself. “You’re welcome.” He squeezed back. Her hand was cool, soft.
The meal they shared was pleasant. As if by some unspoken agreement, they moved on to much more benign topics. The next upcoming Star Wars sequel, the latest on the new Braves stadium, it was all cordial and almost bland. They conversed easily, but Rob found himself missing the depth of their earlier chat. He wanted to know her more. Really know her, hidden wounds and all.
“That was too delicious,” Stacey said, laying her fork down. “I can see why this is your favorite cheat.”
“Go big or go home.” Rob leaned back in his chair and laid a hand over his belly. “I could use a nap.”
“Me too. I can’t wait to crawl into your bed.”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Stacey’s eyes went wide and her cheeks paled. “That’s not—I didn’t—”
Rob didn’t bother to hide his laughter. “You know, you’re welcome any time you like. But sometimes that bed is occupied, so Goldilocks had better be careful.”
A little smile curved the full lower lip he’d touched earlier. “If I’m sleeping in your bed, will the big, bad bear gobble me up?”
She was flirting. God help him. “Definitely.”
He paid the check, trying to ignore the way his body had treated the idea of what she’d meant. His libido was sitting on “go,” but his brain cautioned him to move at a much slower pace. He wasn’t sure, at this juncture, which would win.
The ride back to his place was much quieter. Stacey’s pain medication was wearing off, and she dozed in the passenger seat, the furrow between her brows deepening whenever there was a rough patch on the highway. His only thought was to get her home, and tucked into bed, with her next dose of medication safely on board.
“Samflynelly,” she said.
“What?” Rob tilted his head toward her. “I didn’t get that.”
“Sam fly nelly, toboggan.” She flapped a hand in his direction.
His guts tightened in alarm. Shit. He took the exit toward his house too quickly, glad they were so close. Thoughts of her recent concussion gripped him, made him drive quicker and more deftly. Once he’d pulled into the spot at home, he cut the engine and grabbed Stacey’s hand.
“Wake up, Stacey. You need to talk to me.” He patted the back of her hand, squeezing her fingers gently. “Come on, Stacey, where are we?”
She opened her eyes, frowning as she blinked. “Huh? We’re at your apartment. What’s the big deal?”
He didn’t relax. Couldn’t. Not yet. “How many fingers am I holding up?”
She sighed. “Two. I’m fine. I had a weird dream, but I’m fine.”
“You were talking gibberish. I had to check. You’re in my care, and I’m not about to let anything else happen to you.”
He didn’t let go of her hand and stared deep into her eyes. They were so close, such a deep blue, flecks of sky and silver dancing in them. Her brows winged delicately over them, looking so soft, fringed as they were by her bangs. The delicate skin was reddened at her temple by the contact with the air bag. Her nose, with a tiny line of freckles marching along the bridge, turned up at the tip. And her lips. They’d been so soft, so touchable earlier. Now he leaned closer, wanting to taste them, taste her, feel the way she responded to him.
And then she surprised him by closing the gap between them.
Her mouth took his, open, sweetly wanting. Her free hand touched his neck, threading upward to rub against his nape. He threaded his fingers through hers and laid his free hand gently on her hip. His tongue traced the line of her mouth that his fingers had explored earlier. She was sweet, so sweet, so open and giving as he kissed her more deeply. She matched him, movement for movement, her tongue swirling with his as they explored one another.
He wanted to kiss her mouth forever, but there were more places he longed to explore. The tiny taste he’d gotten of her seemed so long ago. Kissing his way down her jaw, he nuzzled at her neck, breathing in the sweet scent of her. Nipping gently at the shimmering pulse there, he smiled against her skin as she tilted her chin upward to give him better access.
She was loving this as much as he was. And the thought was damn heady.
* * *
Oh God.
His mouth was on her neck. His lips were pressed against the tender skin, his tongue laying sweet lines of sensuous fire on her throat. Her eyes were closed in bliss, and her hands wandered wherever they wanted.
They started in his sandy hair, rubbing the short length against her fingertips. Then lower, past the muscles of his shoulders, across the breadth of his strong chest.
His mouth moved to her collarbone, his teeth grazing it slightly. A moan escaped her then, a small sound that she hadn’t meant to utter, but she could no more stop it than she could have stopped that truck from hitting her last night.
The truck. Her eyes flew open and she braced for impact with a gasp.
Rob stopped kissing her instantly, pulling back.
“Stacey? What’s wrong, did I hurt you?”
She pressed a palm to her chest where her heart was thumping so hard against her rib cage that it sent waves of pain to her side. Her breaths were quick pants.
“Stacey?”
“No, sorry. I just, well, it was kind of a flashback. To last night. I suddenly remembered the impact and it freaked me out a little.”
Rob reached for her, his arms going around her as if to comfort her. She’d just started to settle into them, grateful for the support, when he pulled away.
“I’m sorry. You’re hurting, and tired, and here I am taking advantage of you.”
“No! You’re not taking advantage. Really. I was enjoying it.” She looked down at her lap, hating the inadequacy she felt just then. Why did he have to be so far out of her league? He could have any girl he wanted, so why was he spending time with her? And why did she have to be so goddamn suspicious of his motives? All she wanted was to continue those kisses right where they left off. She’d been praying his mouth would drift lower, past her collarbone, down to the swell of her breasts where her nipples were tightening in anticip—
“Stacey.” He broke her reverie. “Let’s go inside. You should catch a nap.”
She sighed as he pushed open his car door. “Okay. Even when you’re not in the gym, you’re bossy as hell. “
Making use of the mirrors, she watched as he pulled her crutches from the trunk. That had been unexpected, but incredible. Hannah had encouraged her to explore, to see just how far this thing could go, but disbelief still saturated her. Despite that one chance encounter, this kind of thing didn’t happen to girls like her. She’d accepted the fact that she would be single well into her late thirties, and probably end up with someone whom she liked, but didn’t necessarily love. A divorcé, probably, someone who was lonely, like she was. Someone willing to settle.
Wait a minute. What was it Rob had told her? Look in the mirror every day, and say something positive.
She reached for the rearview and twisted it toward her.
“I’m a nice person. We have a lot in common. So why shouldn’t Rob like me?”
She smiled at her reflection, and was pleased to see that the woman smiling back at her didn’t look as bad as she’d feared. Sure, she didn’t have on a “stitch of makeup,” as her grandmother used to say, and her bruises were darkening. Yeah, she was wearing the outfit that Rob had grabbed for her at Target before sunup. And maybe her messy ponytail wasn’t the height of fashion. But her cheeks had color, her eyes were bright, and Rob was opening her door with the crutches.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. I’m good.” She moved the mirror back into position and carefully swung her legs out of the car. Looking up at Rob, silhouetted against the wintry sky, she bit her lip.
“I don’t guess you want to join me for that nap, do you?”
He tilted his head to the side, a puzzled smile stretching his lips. “What?”
She wanted to squirm, back down, laugh it off, pretend she’d said something else. She did none of that, though. Nut up, buttercup, she thought with a mental flourish.
“The nap. It’s a big bed. Maybe we could continue a little bit of what we just started? I mean, if you want.”
Reaching a hand down to her, his small smile broadened into a knowing grin. But his words took the thrill right out of her heart.
“That’s really tempting. But you should rest. You were up almost all night, and your body needs time to recover. Come on.”
She took his hand, trying hard not to let the sting of his rejection show on her face. He pulled her to her feet, and she tucked her crutches beneath her arms. They were already sore, unused to the way she had to walk. Her bruises and bumps were getting more noticeable now, the discomfort that had waned in the face of Rob’s embrace buzzing toward the forefront of her consciousness.
Rob stayed beside her up the walk to his front door. She cast a glance around while he readied his keys.
It was a clean little neighborhood. If the tall shade trees in his yard were any indication, these condos had been here awhile. Hard to tell from the upkeep, though. The homes were all freshly painted, lawns kept well, but not too fussy. A picket fence ran across the side of Rob’s yard, turning a right angle before shooting back. For Custard, she presumed.
The little visual excursion helped to distract her from the thought that she’d just been shot down. For a second, at least.
“After you,” Rob said as he pushed the door open.
“Thanks,” Stacey said, keeping her gaze glued to the ground as if to ensure she didn’t trip over the threshold. It was really so she didn’t have to look at Rob’s face. What would she see there? Pity? Amusement that she’d tried to get him in bed? She didn’t need to know. There were plenty of pillows in that bedroom. Maybe she could smother herself to death so she didn’t have to face him at dinner.
“Get some rest. I’ll wake you up in a few hours.” Rob laid a gentle hand on her back as she stopped outside his bedroom door.
She stared at the bed for a moment, not moving.
“Stace?”
Without looking at him, keeping her gaze trained on that big, king-sized bed, its plush black comforter and soft gray sheets beckoning, she spoke.
This might be the biggest mistake she’d ever made in her life, but God help her, she had to speak the truth.
“Come to bed with me. Please. I want you.”